Chris C

Amen to that, Thomas. Really sorry to hear that, Steve. That's going to be the result of much of this panic........good people are going to financially suffer because of the biased reporting of the media.

Really sorry for your loss, Pnut. My numbers may be wrong, but my implication was that we all need to keep this latest illness in perspective. After all, this isn't The Black Plague and we aren't all going to die because of it. [Political content deleted] I talk with people around me who actually think they need to hoard supplies and hide in their storm shelters for the next two months and not intermingle with other human beings. (give me a break!) This panic is getting out of control and it's egregious for it to be at this level when it's senseless. (just my opinionated two cents worth!)

There is only one purpose of this panic and I can't go into it or I'll be kicked off the forum. Other than that, the only thing I can say is I wish everyone would quit hyping this panic. over 15,000 people died from H1N1............39 have died from Corona, so far, and 27 of those were living in one nursing home. Just stay home and stay away from large gatherings as has been said and use plain old common sense. Don't hoard, don't panic and don't support the on-going fear. We have flu and virus epidemics every single year and they always go away and we always get through to the other side. This stupid panic is destabilizing our country and it's ridiculous. (not the disease, the unnecessary panic)

Cool, Jennifer. Enjoyed nthe video. Nice to not have the blower sound included.

Old Crew, I fully understand. My family owned a Plastic Manufacturing business that never paid taxes. We bought equipment and paid our employees exorbitant bonuses. One year was so good we gave every hourly employee a bonus equaling their yearly income from the plant. Mighty proud of that. But I didn't get to buy toys. (of course, I wasn't hoping to become a blacksmith or bladesmith back then) Thank you for the compliment. My knives are forged, Old Crew.............just don't have my own forge up and running yet. I'm still at the borrowing/mooching stage. (though I hope to have that corrected this week or next)

I get kind of sick at my stomach every time someone says the have heavy anvils such as yours, Old Crew. Took me quite a while to find my "little" 100# Fisher. Haven't gotten to use it yet, but it's going to have to do unless I find a monster anvil left at my front gate out by the road some day...................which is most highly unlikely. But I sure do drool when I hear about or see one of those big brutes.

You make me laugh, John. Now THAT's funny!

E-e-e-e-e-e-w, Dat's Bad!

I've been checking. Nada..............nada danged thing yet.

Or Llama poop for me! (this is gettin' creepy, CGL!)

"Horse Pukkys"..................nope, not for me, CGL. You Texicans are welcome to my share of that material for handles.

No, not necessary. Folks have been making knives for a lon-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-g time out of wood and putting a finish on them. Oil is still my preference for some handles. Edit: In fact, I use Tru-Oil for a lot of my wood carving knife handles. Like the way the wood feels in the hand after it dries.

Your "skill set's" are so far beyond what mine will ever be it's getting to where I don't even want to embarrass myself (drooling) watching your videos! I can't even imagine what it takes to forge one of those diamonds. They are so nearly perfect it's almost diabolical.

You're just "too cool for school", Jennifer. Such hammer control.

I am so sorry to hear this. My prayers are with you and all your family. I mean no levity, but your bother is happy and out of pain now, may he rest in God's Peace.

This Corona Virus madness is beyond ridiculous! I have made my own hand sanitizer for about the past 10 years because I'm in the gym 3 days a week and every surface is a magnet for germs..........especially virus types and it's too expensive to buy the stuff. I wasn't even thinking about the new illness, "Virus-Madness", when I went to Walmart today to buy some 91% Alcohol (2/3 rd of the recipe) and found there to be absolutely no Alcohol in the store or in the warehouse.............OR the local Walmart distribution point. NO ALCOHOL!!!!!! I was totally gobsmacked! The sales-lady said they'd been out of hand sanitizer, Aloe Gel and Alcohol for the past two weeks. At least they had our brand of toilet paper. We were running low and I never gave it a moments thought that all this madness might mean lowered supplies at the store. Thank goodness............I've never enjoyed using dried leaves!

"Back when" I was a professional custom furniture builder, my shop time was $45/hour. Bring me a chair to fix and if it took two hours it was $90. That was back in the early 90's up until I shut down the business in '08. That figure was derived from dividing cost of lights, heat and air, water, business insurances, operating costs such as fees from my lawyer, accountant, shop towels, sand paper, replacing and buying small consumable tools, saw blades, drill bits, shipping and receiving goods (material for resale and operating), cost of fuel, tags and maintenance on my truck, etc. down to an single hour. Then was added the cost of materials used in the furniture.............wood, finishes, dyes, hardware, etc. If it's a business, it's a business. If it's a hobby and you can afford it, have fun. That's always been my mantra.

When it comes to handles, Nathan, the sky is the limit. Everything from spalted firewood scraps, to Armadillo scales to Ivory, to God-only-knows-what! That's half the fun. Get creative. I've seen guys make G-10 out of blue jeans material. (I wouldn't use it, personally, but everyone has their own idea as to what is cool)

Prayers being sent your way right now. Forget the forum.............family is first.

................................and a whole lot of it! Well, the paint is still drying, so I can't get it to a good place to take a pic (I'll do that tomorrow.) but I built my hammer and tong rack today. Started yesterday and finished up today. I'm pleased with it. Welds, not so pleased..........but they'll hold and that's all that matters to me. I'm still using that 20 year old welding rod that came with it. Might have prettier welds if I'd buy new rod. Can't right now. $$$$$$$$ Making just this one rack made the price of the welder worth it to me. I'll post a pic tomorrow.

Well, I have my welder................but a weldor I'm not, at least yet. I'll be working on it. Trying to come up with a simple yet effective hammer and tong rack as my first real project. I don't know if I'll burn my weight in rods in my remaining lifetime, so don't know if I'll ever qualify, but I"ll try. My goal is always to seek to do better than I did the time before in everything I do.

Why don't I ever run into deals like this?????????

I had a friend come over today and help me put my forge up on it's stand. Got the tabs welded to it a couple of days ago that will hold the shelves I made today for the soft firebrick "doors" both front and back. Pretty much all that's left is to cast my ribbon burner and get the black pipe needed to hook everything up. I've been at this so long now it's ridiculous. Have had WAY too many side roads and rabbit holes to distract me from getting this finished. Pretty excited to start forging in it.